we have team coverage for you tonight and we begin with an update, including the identity of the officer in question. in northeast baltimore, the community is still mourning the death of a young eighth grader. >> she was an eighth grader here and this is where more than 100 of her schoolmates gathered to honor her memory. her classmates set up a makeshift memorial at her locker with pictures and posters of their condolences. outside, more than 100 people gathered to share their favorite memories. it's definitely a testament to how popular and well received she was by her schoolmates. her teachers say she was an energetic girl who was the only one of the team who steered for a local peewee football team. more than 100 people came out,

definitely a testament to how many lives they touched. i spoke to her family and they said funeral arrangements have been set and a viewing will be scheduled and she will be laid to rest after a funeral service of southern baptist church. for more on the investigation of the alleged cover-ups, let's go to the newsroom. >> several sources familiar with the case identified the officer as john ward. a member of the baltimore police permit for just a few years, he is suspended while investigators scrambled to figure out what he did or did not do after she was shot. >> the mayor called the death a horrible tragedy, made worse by the possibility of a police officer who broke department rules or the law. >> quite frankly it is

disgusting. i require more from our officers. they have to the public trust at hand in everything they do. >> she was fatally shot when to teenage boys were playing with a rifle that accidentally went off. no one reported it. instead, her body was found the next day underneath trash bags in and i owe it -- in an alley. the off-duty officer face the sister of one of the boys and the rifle was found in his car. investigators are focused on key questions. did the officer know about the shooting but failed to report it or did he help to fight it -- to hide the body or did he concealed weapon? no one answered the door today in the house for the shooting happened. the cell phone and rifle are being examined to determine who

may have handled it where it comes from. >> the rifle is being tested to determine whether it has been used in other crimes. the address for the shooting happened has a 21-rolled man who has a potential of a lengthy jail term involving gun charges and felony assault. the two boys are charged as juveniles with involuntary manslaughter. officer war was on medical leave when that this incident occurred. >> last night, the anne arundel county voted no confidence in john leopold and chief. tonight, another police union is calling for that same action. >> the international brotherhood of police officers who represents sergeants and 38 states around the country came

down to the county to say it backs the no-confidence vote that came down late tuesday night from the fraternal order of police. >> the county executive was indicted last friday, accused of using police officers as a campaign workers to have sexual encounters and helping dump medical waste. the police chief is accused of covering up these various operations. it is difficult when you tell the boss you have no confidence in them and are still required to work under them. >> the fraternal order of police of voted 100% no confidence in leopold and 90% no confidence in the chief, something that has not been done in the union's history. >> any divides there may have been disappeared after the

indictment was released. >> the problem we have is that they cannot trust their leaders and their being held up to public scorn because of the shenanigans of the county administrator and a cover-up by the chief. >> more fallout as the president of the international brotherhood of police officers called for leopold and tear to resign. >> once the allegations came to life, and the right thinking person would step aside and let someone else run the day-to-day operations of the county. he does not have the moral authority any longer to do his job. the union is furious both men would choose to stay and their positions, saying the longer it goes on, the worse the county looks. >> the county will become the laughingstock of the country. >> what is surprising is the

county executive has been very vocal through this entire process, saying he will not step down. today, he offered no comment. hist >> a push to increase a tax on cigars and smokeless tobacco products is gaining momentum. health advocates held a pep rally in support of legislation upping the tax to the same as that of cigarettes. critics say it would create another financial burden, but supporters say raising the price has proven to be an effective way to stop people from picking up the habit. >> we know from the cigarette tax increases that cost counts with kids. children stop buying cigarettes and stop using cigarettes when the cost gets beyond their means.

other tobacco products have not kept pace. now we have them flavored in everything an ice-cream cone could be flavored in. certainly marketed to our children and we say cost them out of their reach. >> a poll taken last fall shows kids are turning to smokeless tobacco products and cigars after being priced out of cigarettes. it's expected to generate $20 billion for the state. a similar measures will be taken up in the house on friday. >> an effort to repeal the death penalty at a roadblock today. the lead sponsor changed her mind of circumventing the petition and going to the floor for a vote. let's go live to annapolis for the latest. >> it would have been a bold but politically risky move. it has only happened three times the past 31 years.

>> just minutes before testimony began on a bill to repeal the death penalty, the sponsor declared her petition drive over. she needed 15 colleagues to sign it to avoid a committee vote and get the measure to the senate floor. >> what changed your mind? >> politics. >> a discharges considered a slap in the face and a snub to leader to handpick the chair and its members. >> i do not believe there are democratic senators who are going to support seeing to the leadership of the senate that we don't like the committee process. >> she considered the petitioning because of the three publicans and three democrats to some on the proceedings committee. they'll support the death penalty. unless there is a change in membership, the bill dies in committee. >> de extremely rarely invoke a because it collides with the general committee culture we operate on. >> it has happened three-time of

in the past 31 years. they petition the bond bill to design the pink river bridge. in 1982, the lemon law came to the floor and in 1987, a bill reducing the state income tax circumvented the committee process. death penalty opponents have overwhelming support. there 66 co-sponsors on the bill. opponents point to the recent jury decision not to execute one inmate and they say it's an indication the public favors repealing capital punishment. >> it is not called capital deterrent. it's called capital punishment because the concept is the punishment needs to fit the crime. >> i'm going to try to get a death row inmate and record his testimony and to a 15 minute hearing. you don't need a lot of testimony. >> although the bill has 66 co-

sponsors in the house, the gang of six committee members essentially killed its chances this year. >> thank you. one day after super tuesday, the fight is not over. mitt romney hopes to build on his momentum after squeaking out a win in ohio and five other states. a rick santorum supporter is calling on the newt gingrich to get out of the race. >> mitt romney took a break from the trail today, but he insists he will be the last man standing in the republican race. >> fresh off of six super tuesday victories, including a narrowed nail biter in ohio, mitt romney says he's prepared to fight all the way to the convention. >> we think it will get them before the convention. >> his delegate lead makes it

difficult for his opponents to catch him. some strategists say he has more convincing to do. >> he is not winning among hard- core conservatives and he's now running well and the south. we're going to go into a bunch of southern primaries in the next couple of weeks. >> those include states where newt gingrich hopes to mount a comeback. >> i believe alabama has a major role to play in setting the stage for the presidential nomination. >> his campaign says it is a bust went. >> his best hope for been taken seriously is to get newt gingrich out of the race. >> santorum is making a play for kansas after a triple win in oklahoma, tennessee and oklahoma. >> how do you think we did last

night? >> i feel good about last night. >> ron paul seems to feel good even though he did not get a single win. he plans to campaign in kansas later this week. >> a school workshop today focused on the topic of bullying. we'll have more on that message, next. >> we will see how long these mild temperatures will hang with us. 64 degrees at the airport. 64 degrees at the airport.

>> a student assembly on bullying deals with the topic of how case students might be affected by the practice. >> the group invited a contestant's who performed the election and talked about the importance of speaking up about bullying. >> i think this is so important and i remind these kids how lucky they are to be in this school, that they can talk openly about these subjects and not feel ashamed to have a supportive counselors to help them. i am driving at home with them. >> >> the warmest day since they

first day of february. it's been a mild winter but even as warm as it has been lately, 70 in downtown baltimore. 16 degrees warmer than normal for the seventh of march. the sun that was warming as up has been quite active. this is the way the sun that looks. folks to track the sun spots -- that big one that you see in the northwest corner there, that unleashed a very strong a solar flare, just now reaching the earth. the storms are likely across northern latitudes, maybe even interrupting -- it might cause northern lights to be visible as far south. we saw them as far south as michigan. it may be the northern lights

are visible. look to the northern lights -- look to the north. we have a high, then cloudiness moving in. but if these clouds and now enough, we could see a reddish or pinkish glow in the sky. in the meantime, it's just a warmth of the sun we felt today. 59 at easton. you can see a hint here that there is a little bit of a baby's on the eastern shore. it has been mild and will stay in the 40's. 51 as the normal high. right now, 64 degrees. high cloudiness coming our way and a band of thicker clouds stretching into kansas city. one more day in this air mass and then the cold bind that front pushes into our area.

parts of texas and oklahoma, northern louisiana could see strong to severe thunderstorms tomorrow at the southern end of that front marching toward the gulf coast. southerly breezes and a few clouds tomorrow with temperatures trying to get close to 70 before the rain slides into baltimore. behind the front, it will get chile. if you like spring, we have a lot of it this winter. soak it up for one more day. a small craft advisory on the bay with winds gusting up to 30 knots. the seven-day forecast, big changes in the temperature regime. only 48 on saturday. then we go back to daylight savings time. look for clouds and son next on

sunday. >> johnny unitas finished his career with the charters. joe montana with the chiefs and now peyton manning will finesse and his career somewhere other than indianapolis. that happens. the colts officially announced their intentions today at a press conference to start a new era with one top draft pick. they would have to pay $28 million salary bonus if the state. his series of surgeries making a long-term question. that is the business and of life in the nfl. but to his credit, he seems to get it. after 14 years, more than 54,000 yards passing, a super bowl when, he had to say goodbye to his fans in indianapolis.

>> i have not thought about where i will play, but i have thought about where i have been. i have truly been blessed to play here. i have been blessed to be in the nfl. >> a genuinely emotional day. he will more likely get recruited. here is a list of a few who could have an interest. miami and washington look like the strongest fits. arizona needs a quarterback. kansas city and denver both have quarterbacks. seattle could be on the list by the end of the week. it will have a lot to do with narrowing or expanding the list in the weeks ahead. the orioles have their first i opening moments. that kind of stuff that makes

you think they may have something here. two innings but did not give up a run. after giving it up and the second, striking out three in a row. a nice debut for the lefty. bases loaded, a double and clears the deck as the orioles shut out the twins. the navy women's lacrosse coach or raise the bar on a possibility for her entire sport. becoming the first coach in college lacrosse to ever win 400 games. her 30th year coaching and now has won eight national titles. now has reached a previously and attained milestone of 400 career wins. congratulations. stick around

>> baltimore and city, county police are working with the fbi to identify the witness in this photo. plus, too good to be true? some are dreading what could be ahead. we look at the pope -- the pros we look at the pope -- the pros and cons of

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>> we welcome spring, even if it's early. >> 67 degrees tomorrow. then the rain comes in tomorrow night and we call off into the weekend. >> you've got a good forecast, solid. >> enjoy the forecast. >> thank you f joining us.